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NEW YORK (AP) — After a tragic collision between a jet and a fire truck that claimed the lives of two pilots, LaGuardia Airport’s runway has been reopened. This development on Thursday morning marks the end of a period during which the airport operated at reduced capacity while investigators examined the accident’s aftermath, and crews worked diligently to remove debris.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the tarmac resumed functioning at approximately 10 a.m. following thorough repairs, inspections, and confirmation that it met Federal Aviation Administration standards for safe usage.
As the agency responsible for overseeing airports in the region, the Port Authority explained that bringing the second runway back online at LaGuardia—one of the busiest airports in the country—will significantly enhance its operational capacity. However, they advised passengers to verify their flight status with airlines due to potential ongoing disruptions.
LaGuardia has been leading the nation in flight delays and cancellations, with over 300 flights canceled in the past 24 hours alone, as reported by Flight Aware, a flight monitoring service.
In the midst of these operational challenges, the remains of the two Air Canada pilots are being returned to Canada, as authorities continue to handle the repercussions of the incident.
Pilots carried the casket of Jazz Aviation first officer Mackenzie Gunther off a plane at the Ottawa International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Capt. Antoine Forest’s body was then flown from Ottawa to Montréal Trudeau International Airport.
Gunther, 30, and Forest, 24, died when their Air Canada plane collided with a firetruck after landing at LaGuardia.
Hundreds of pilots and flight staff waited in the rain, lined up in front of Air Canada’s Montreal headquarters to honor Forest.
Capt. Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association Canada, said the pilot community is mourning the two young aviators.
“No family should go through this,” he said,
The destroyed Air Canada plane and the fire truck were towed from the crash site late Wednesday as the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation.
The agency said Thursday that the truck has been placed in an undisclosed, secure location and deferred to questions about the status of the plane to Air Canada, which didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The airline has said the plane would be placed in a hangar and that it would soon begin the process of reuniting passengers with their baggage and personal belongings.
Michael Rousseau, the company’s CEO, also apologized Thursday for his inability to express himself in French after facing calls to resign over his English-only message of condolence.
The crash happened late Sunday night as an Air Canada regional jet arriving from Montreal and carrying 76 people struck an airport fire truck that had initially been cleared to cross the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard another plane.
Roughly 40 people were treated at hospitals for injuries, including the two firefighters and a flight attendant who survived after being thrown onto the tarmac while still strapped in her seat. Most have since been released from the hospital.
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Gillies reported from Toronto.